Piper PA-28-140 accident near Mecosta, Michigan, July 3, 2001
On July 3, 2001 at about 8:55 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-140, registered N8007N, was destroyed in an accident near Mecosta, Michigan (Canadian Lakes airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the inadequate preflight planning/preparation by the pilot and fuel starvation. Additional causes were the aircraft control not maintained, and the inadvertent stall by the pilot.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 3, 2001 · about 8:55 pm local time
- Place
- Mecosta, Michigan · Canadian Lakes · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-140 · all PA-28-140s on the register
- Registration
- N8007N · no longer on the register · serial 28-25248
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane was turning towards the departure airport following a reported sputtering of the engine by witnesses. The engine then stopped and the left wing dropped. Examination of the wreckage revealed that there was no fuel in the fuel lines leading to the carburetor. The fuel selector was positioned onto the left fuel tank which was found not to contain any usable fuel.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,863 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 2,050 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: 05C Canadian Lakes MI
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 3,800 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 280° at 8 knots, gusting 17
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 3,600 ft
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 29.96 inHg
- Observation at 9:57 pm from RQB, 15 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.